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FY 2018

APPLICATION GUIDELINES Deadline: Friday, May 11, 2018 at 4:00PM EDT

Government of the District of Columbia Commission on the Arts and Humanities

200 I (Eye) Street, SE, Suite 1400 Washington, DC 20003

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Mayor’s Arts Awards Description ............................................................................ 3 Successful MAA Nomination ................................................................................... 4 Eligibility Requirements .......................................................................................... 5 Application Process ................................................................................................. 5 Review Process ....................................................................................................... 6 Finalist Notification ................................................................................................ 6 Contact Information ............................................................................................... 6 Review Criteria ........................................................................................................ 6 Checklist ................................................................................................................. 7 Addendum A: Work Samples .................................................................................. 9 Addendum B: Award Categories ........................................................................... 15 Addendum C: Application Sample ......................................................................... 16

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NOTICE: Applicants must read the entire guidelines prior to submitting an

application. For questions or additional information, please contact the

Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH).

AWARD NOMINATIONS FY 2018 33rd Mayor’s Arts Awards Application Release Date: March 30, 2018

Submission Deadline: May, 11, 2018

Introduction

DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH) is soliciting nominations from individuals and organizations with an artistic and/or humanities background who demonstrate artistic excellence in their chosen discipline. The award nomination process is competitive, and awards are based on the cohorts listed under the Mayor’s Arts Awards description.

Mayor’s Arts Awards (MAA)

The Mayor’s Arts Awards are the most prestigious honors conferred by the city on individual artists,

teachers, nonprofit organizations and patrons of the arts. This year, the DC Commission on the Arts and

Humanities will present the 33rd Annual Mayor’s Arts Awards. Artists and Organizations will be

recognized in six categories: Excellence in Visual Arts, Excellence in Performance Arts, Excellence in

Creative Industries, Excellence in Arts Education, Excellence in the Humanities and The Larry Neal

Writers’ Award. Special Awards will be given to individuals and organizations, recognizing their

outstanding support to DC arts, humanities and creative industries.

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Successful MAA Nomination

Is the nominee right for this award category? The nominator should know the intent of the award and the required nomination components. Read the criteria for each award carefully. Be realistic. It is a very rigorous and competitive process. If the individual and/or organization you have in mind does not meet the stated qualifications, you should not submit an application packet.

Submit a concise, well written nomination packet. Complete, well-written, but concise application packets are more likely to be successful. Use an active voice when writing.

Provide a complete overview of your nominee. A peer review process, using very specific, clearly defined scoring criteria, is used to review and rate the awards submissions. Only the information in the packet that is electronically submitted is considered. Please do not assume that the reviewers will know your candidate — you must include all of their accomplishments in the packet submittal.

Create a unique picture of your nominee. This process is competitive. Your application packet must stand out among all the others that have been submitted if your candidate is to be selected for this prestigious award. Put yourself in the reviewers’ shoes. Your nomination will be judged by creative peers. Make sure your nomination clearly describes the uniqueness of your candidate.

Solicit information from others to strengthen the nomination. Be sure to solicit information from others to strengthen the submission. Also, two heads are better than one — invite some colleagues to give you feedback and other ideas about the accomplishments of your nominee and how you've presented it. Their insights may make your nomination more robust.

Be objective. Submit objective information to support testimonials or statements made by colleagues whenever possible. Review all nomination materials for consistency before submitting the electronic packet.

Make an impact. Clearly describe how the specific, unique qualifications and contributions of your candidate or program have made a distinct impact in the individuals and/or organizations creative profession and community.

Organize. Don't wait until the last minute to prepare your awards submission. Maintain an awards file. Most criteria remain very constant from year to year and changes in procedure are minimal. Gather materials early and allow plenty of time for review. Compile all nomination materials prior to initiating the online nomination process. Though you can "save" what you’ve done and go back later to complete the packet, it will make your submission process much smoother and hassle-free if you have all the necessary components compiled before you begin.

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Nomination & Eligibility Requirements

The awards are limited to individuals who reside and nonprofit organizations that have

administrative offices in the District of Columbia.

Individuals and nonprofit organizations may self-nominate or be nominated for an award.

Individuals and nonprofit organizations may be nominated in multiple award categories where

appropriate.

Separate applications are required for each nomination category.

Individuals and nonprofit organizations cannot be nominated in a category that they have been

awarded in for a period of at least 2 years.

Application Process

The Mayor‘s Arts Awards guidelines are available www.dcarts.dc.gov. CAH utilizes an online application

portal. All nominations must be submitted online by the deadline, 4:00 pm, Friday, May 11, 2018.

Incomplete or late nominations, or nominations which do not follow the instructions, will be ineligible

for review. The nomination period is from March 30, 2018 to May 11, 2018. CAH will not accept mailed,

emailed or hand-delivered copies of nomination applications.

Nomination Application Procedure:

1. Review the FY18 Mayor’s Arts Awards guideline [PDF] thoroughly and determine eligibility of the

nominee.

2. Visit www.dcarts.dc.gov and go to the Events tab and select Programs and Events . Select Mayor’s

Arts Awards Nominations and scroll to the bottom of the page and select

https://dcarts.slideroom.com/#/login/program/36099/vJ18hUE082 to register to and sign in:

(To reset the password select “Forgot your password?”)

3. Once fully registered, the nominator must select the desired award category(s).

4. Complete the application questions and narratives.

5. Upload all required documents, supplementary material, work samples and W9.

6. Submit the nomination and references by 4:00pm on the deadline date.

The nomination process is highly competitive. The nominator is fully responsible for the content of

their application packages. An automated confirmation of an application’s submission does not

guarantee an application’s eligibility for review by the Advisory Review Panel. CAH staff is not permitted

to make corrections to applications on behalf of the nominator. CAH staff will review applications for

completeness and contact the nominator for any incomplete documents within five business days of the

deadline. The nominator is responsible for updating their application within five business days of CAH’s

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notification. Incomplete applications will not be forwarded to the Advisory Review Panel for

consideration.

Review Process

All applications are scored according to six categories: Excellence in Visual Arts, Excellence in

Performance Arts, Excellence in Creative Industries, Excellence in Arts Education, and Excellence in the

Humanities. The evaluation criteria are specific to each award category and listed in each award

category guideline.

CAH selects Advisory Review Panelists each year with arts, humanities and/or business professionals,

independent of the Commission, who to ensure that the finalist that are selected for the award

ceremony demonstrate artistic excellence in their chosen discipline. All eligible applications will be

forwarded to the Advisory Review Panelists for evaluation and scoring based on the published criteria.

Panelists will conduct a thorough review of all applications and convene as group to discuss the

applications and finalize scores.

Finalist Notification

Finalists will be announced approximately 8 weeks before the awards ceremony. During that

time, we encourage finalists to share the big news and to invite friends and family to attend the

awards ceremony. Winners will be announced during the awards ceremony.

Contact Information

For more information regarding the 33rd Mayor’s Arts Awards, or work sample submissions and the

nomination process, please contact Ebony C. Brown, Special Events Manager at ebony.brown@dc.gov

or JaKenna E. Martin, Special Events Associate jakenna.martin@dc.gov or (202) 724-5613

Review Criteria

Artistic and/or Humanities Content 40%

Nominee demonstrates sustainable history, artistic excellence and distinction in chosen discipline

Nominees work demonstrates, creativity, originality, and is thought-provoking

Nominee demonstrates opportunity for artistic growth and development

Nominees work samples and supporting materials clearly demonstrate a high standards of artistic excellence

Expertise and History 30%

Nominee has a demonstrated history of knowledge and expertise in chosen discipline.

Nominee has an extensive artistic history in the District and/or beyond the metropolitan area in chosen discipline.

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Nominee demonstrates sustainability and longevity in chosen discipline and in the community.

Nominee utilizes personnel with demonstrated arts expertise, and uses DC-based artists to deliver content. (if applicable)

Nomination (category) request aligns and supports the nominee’s mission.

Nominee shows commitment in development of craft.

Nominees work samples and supporting materials clearly demonstrate a timeline a high standards of artistic excellence

District Impact and Engagement 25%

Nominee demonstrates shared learning opportunities in the District that facilitate a greater

participation in the arts, relative to the artistic discipline

Nominee demonstrates an effort to reach a culturally diverse audience and encourages their active

participation

Nominee meets the needs of various DC communities through special programming, free events,

educational programs, outreach-focused programs, etc.

Nominees work is made accessible to persons with disabilities.

Nominee identifies the specific District communities it serves and describes significant impact within

these communities.

Nominee is clear about the target audience and appropriate marketing methods to their target audiences.

Nominee partners with similar/complementary organizations and individuals to leverage resources, where appropriate.

Application Checklist

The following is in addition to the required narrative questions within the online grant application. This

checklist includes all mandatory and supplementary documents required to submit the Mayor’s Arts

Awards application. Documents must be uploaded prior to the application deadline.

MANDATORY DOCUMENTS

Work Samples and Supporting Materials– see Addendum A - Section 1 for more information on

Work Sample Requirements. Flyers and brochures DO NOT count as work samples.

Support Materials - up to six additional items, e.g., letter of agreement from project site(s),

publicity, letters of support, programs, brochures, evaluations, strategic plans, etc.

Resume(s) of key personnel involved in the project and/or programs, such as artistic staff and

educators

Justification Narrative is statement describing why the nominee is deserving of being honored in

the selected award category and the correlation of the applicant’s artistic history to the selected

category.

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Signed W-9 (Request for Taxpayer Identification and Certificate)

FAILURE TO SUBMIT MANDATORY DOCUMENTS WILL AUTOMATICALLY RESULT IN DISQUALIFICATION.

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ADDENDUM A: WORK SAMPLES AND SUPPLEMENTARY

MATERIALS

The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH) values and emphasizes artistic excellence in all

programs within all disciplines. This section contains detailed information on the CAH’s requirements

and suggestions regarding artistic and educational content.

Arts and Humanities content and/or merit is one of several criteria on which an application is reviewed.

Other criteria include: District impact and engagement, artistic expertise and history as dictated within

the program guidelines Arts and Humanities content and/or merit content is demonstrated to the

Advisory Review Panel through the applicant’s:

Section 1 - Work sample;

Section 2 - Support materials;

Section 3 - Résumé(s) of key personnel; and, bios

Section 4 – Justification Narrative Of these, the work sample carries the most weight because it must contain the clearest depiction of the

nominee’s best work(s). All applicants must submit arts and/or humanities work samples.

The guidelines on what to submit within a work sample submission depend on the applicant’s arts and/or humanities discipline. Applicants must adhere to the work sample requirements below in order to be eligible for consideration.

Section 5 – General suggestions from CAH staff

Section 1 - Work Samples

Work samples are a critical to each application and are carefully considered during application review.

CAH strongly recommends that applicants pay close attention to the content of work sample

submissions.

The guidelines on what to submit within a work sample submission depend on the applicant’s artistic

discipline and the nomination category. Applicants must adhere to the work sample requirements below

in order to be eligible for consideration.

Work samples must be no more than two years old. Any work samples dated before this must demonstrate the nominees work over a period of time. Submitting older work samples will make the application ineligible for consideration. Please contact the nominee to obtain the most up to date information for uploads.

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Arts Education

Includes video and audio excerpts, writing samples, and student art work along with syllabi, lesson plans, and other materials created by teaching artists and teachers in professional development projects.

Educational materials are also acceptable alongside the artistic work sample.

Crafts

Individuals - Submit digital images of ten different works.

Organizations - Submit 20 digital images of different works.

Create an Image Identification List of the images you are submitting. Arrange the list in the order that you would like the images to be viewed. Title the page with the words “Image Identification List” and the applicant’s name. For each image, include the artist’s name, artwork title, medium, size and the year the work was completed. Digital images must be numbered to correspond with the Image Identification List.

Dance

Submit up to two video recordings of performances.

Submit an ensemble selection unless you are a soloist or the project involves a solo.

Design Arts

Individuals - Submit digital images of ten different works.

Organizations - Submit 20 digital images of different works.

Create an Image Identification List of the images you are submitting. Arrange the list in the order that you would like the images to be viewed. Title the page with the words “Image Identification List” and the applicant’s name. For each image, include the artist’s name, artwork title, medium, size and the year the work was completed. Digital images must be numbered to correspond with the Image Identification List.

Interdisciplinary

Individuals and organizations must submit up to 10 digital images or up to two audio/video recordings demonstrating the integration of disciplines in the work.

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Media Arts

Film, Video, Radio Submit up to two audio/video recordings of completed work or work-in-progress.

Multi-disciplinary

Provide the required work samples (as described herein) for two (minimum) or three (maximum) of the artistic disciplines that are relevant to the grant request.

Music

Submit up to three audio/video recordings.

Selections must not exceed five minutes.

Upload each selection in a separate file.

Photography

Individuals - Submit digital images of ten different works.

Organizations - Submit 20 digital images of different works.

Create an Image Identification List of the images you are submitting. Arrange the list in the order that you would like the images to be viewed. Title the page with the words “Image Identification List” and the applicant’s name. For each image, include the artist’s name, artwork title, medium, size and the year the work was completed. Digital images must be numbered to correspond with the Image Identification List.

Theatre

Actors Submit video recordings of two contrasting monologues.

Still images of productions are prohibited.

Directors Submit a copy of a 1-3 page concept statement of a recently directed play.

Organizations Submit up to two video recordings of performances.

Digital images of productions are prohibited.

Playbills and programs are prohibited as work samples. However, they may be included as support material.

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Playwrights See LITERATURE, above.

Sound Designers Submit up to three audio recordings.

Visual Arts

Individuals - Submit digital images of ten different works.

Organizations - Submit 20 digital images of different works.

Create an Image Identification List of the images you are submitting. Arrange the list in the order that you would like the images to be viewed. Title the page with the words “Image Identification List” and the applicant’s name. For each image, include the artist’s name, artwork title, medium, size and the year the work was completed. Digital images must be numbered to correspond with the Image Identification List.

Arts Teaching

Includes video and audio excerpts, writing samples, and student art work along with syllabi, lesson plans, and other materials created by teaching artists and teachers in professional development projects.

Educational materials are also acceptable alongside the artistic work sample.

Section 2 - Support Materials

Support materials are documents that strengthen the application and provide additional information

that directly relates to the nomination category. Support materials do not take the place of a work

sample! They do, however, reinforce the quality of the applicant’s work and experience.

Some examples of support materials are:

Theatre/exhibition reviews; Letters of recommendation; Press clippings; Write ups; Certificates; Sample syllabi and lesson plans; Assessments and evaluations; and, Awards.

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Section 3 - Résumés of Key Personnel

Another way for the Advisory Review Panel to determine the artistic and/or educational content of each

application is to review the résumés of the key artists, humanities professionals, administrators, and

facilitators being nominated. Their backgrounds should be relevant to the award category, chosen

discipline and clearly demonstrated through their professional résumés.

Section 4- Justification Narrative

The justification narrative is very important to the overall application package during the review process.

In many cases it is used to teach, persuade and inform the Advisory Review Panelists on why the

individual and/or organization you are nominating should receive the award.

Things to think about when creating your justification narrative:

Provide a brief statement about the individual and/or organization you are nominating;

Provide reason(s) that detail why the individual and/or organization should receive the award;

Provide information that will support and strengthen your reasoning

Section 5 - General Suggestions from CAH Staff

When creating and preparing Work Samples, Support Materials and Résumés, the CAH recommends

considering the following:

Select recent, high quality samples that relate as directly to the application as possible;

Uploaded pictures should be JPEG, PNG, GIF with the resolution of at least 72 dpi;

Allowed Media Types: o Images: up to 10MB each o Video: up to 500MB each o Audio: up to 60MB each o External media from Youtube, Vimeo and SoundCloud

Less is more. Oftentimes, adding more than the recommended number of work samples to your application will weaken the application;

Carefully chosen work samples (pictures, videos, excerpts, etc.) tend to make the biggest impact and create the strongest artistic impression;

Advisory Review Panelists are required to review each applicant’s work samples; however, they are not guaranteed to review multiple work samples within the same application;

Each work sample and document must be labeled clearly so that panelists can identify what they are reviewing;

Provide work samples that clearly demonstrate a timeline of work over a course of years illustrating the core mission, theme or impact of the nominees work

Panelists must be able to assess the knowledge, expertise, and skill level of the nominees application work samples and supporting materials

Digital File Format - All files should be labeled as follows, in the appropriate file extension (jpg, gif, pdf, etc.)

o Template: Nominee’s LastName.FirstName.Image#.ImageTitle.jpg o Example – “DaVinci.Leonardo.1.MonaLisa.jpg”

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For video submission

Uploaded video should be MP4, or audio MP3

Uploaded video should only be up to 500MB each

Do not send promotional work samples (e.g., highly-edited booking tapes); and

Do not send dark work samples or samples with poor visibility.

For online materials and website:

A website is not a sufficient work sample. Only submit a website that is an essential part of the body of work;

Provide all passwords or include any necessary information required to view your work sample such as plug-ins or navigation paths; and,

Be sure that the links to websites or online materials are fully functioning and maintained throughout the year. An inoperative link to a website containing your work sample will negatively affect your application. CAH is not responsible for any material outside of the online grant portal.

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ADDENDUM B: AWARD CATEGORIES

MAYOR’S AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN VISUAL ARTS

Artistic disciplines

may include but are

not limited to:

Ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, design, photography, crafts.

MAYOR’S AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN PERFORMING ARTS

Artistic disciplines

may include but are

not limited to:

Dance- Jazz, tap, ballet, modern, hip hop, folk, ballroom. Theatre- actors, directors, carpenters. Music- composers, singers, musicians, bands, orchestras, choruses.

MAYOR’S AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN ARTS EDUCATION

Honors an individual or organization for outstanding applications of imagination and creativity in a learning environment where teaching quality art is an essential part of their mission to its student population. The honor can include but is not limited to teachers in DC Public Schools and Public Charter Schools.

MAYOR’S AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN CREATIVE INDUSTRIES

Honors an individual, business, organization or group that has taken a leadership

role in helping to develop the creative economy/culture in Washington DC whose

core function is the production and/or distribution of art.

Artistic disciplines

may include but are

not limited to:

Design arts, filmmakers, producers, museums, media, lighting designers, sound

engineers, fashion, graphic designers, crafters, jewelry designers, media.

*Curators such as festival coordinators, exhibitors best fit in this category.

MAYOR’S AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN THE HUMANITIES

Honors an individual or organization that has made significant contributions in the humanities in the District of Columbia.

Disciplines may

include but are not

limited to:

Literature, history, language, philosophy, anthropology, archeology, musicality, religion and social science.

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ADDENDUM C: Application Sample

FORMS:

1. Nominee Name: (Required) 2. Street Address (Required) 3. Telephone: (Required) 4. Email: (Required) 5. Contact Person: (Required)

6. Question Type: Drop Down

Artist Type/Discipline: (Required)

Choices*

Arts Education

Crafts

Dance

Design Arts

Interdisciplinary

Media Arts

Multi-disciplinary

Music

Photography

Theatre

Visual Arts

Arts Teaching

7. Question Type: Multiple Choice Please select an award category(s): (Required) Choices*

o Excellence in Visual Arts o Excellence in Performing Arts o Excellence in Arts Education o Excellence in Creative Industries o Excellence in the Humanities

8. Question Type: Multiple Choice Please indicate whether you are self-nominating or nominating on behalf of an individual and/or

organization. (Required)

Choices*

o self-nominating

o nominating on behalf of

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9. Question Type: Multiple Choice Is the individual and/or organization aware of this nomination? (Required)

Choices*

o yes

o no

10. Overview: Provide a statement describing the Nominee’s mission and artistic history.

(Required)

Attachments:

1. Justification narrative: Provide a statement describing why the nominee deserves recognition in

the selected award category. How does the nominee demonstrate artistic excellence and what

attributes make your nominee successful in their chosen discipline? (Refer to award category

definitions) (Required)

2. Resumé of key personnel and/or Bio (Required)

3. Media Description: Please provide a brief statement describing each media sample with a name

or tag of each sample.

4. Work sample and Uploads: Provide a statement describing the work samples in detail. Describe how and why the artistic and/or humanities content of the work sample best represents the nominee’s body of work. Please refer to Addendum A: Work Sample and supplementary material section 1 in the Mayor’s Arts Awards application guideline to find out the work sample requirements. Please submit a range of work that clearly demonstrates your artistic development over a period of time. (Required)

5. Support Materials: Additional supporting materials that you believe are important for the Advisory Review Panel to consider as they make their decisions. (Letters of recommendation, certificates, press clippings, flyers, write ups, awards etc.) (Required)

6. W-9 (Required)

Media:

Provide 3 -10 items Allowed Media Types: Images (up to 10MB each)

Video (up to 500MB each)

Audio (up to 60MB each)

PDFs (up to 20MB each)

3D Models

External media from YouTube, Vimeo and SoundCloud